ON LARD, AND COMPOUNDS MADE WITH IT, 1 M 



He triturated equal parts of lard and mercury in a mor- Gains no oxi- 

 lar, which he had accurately weighed. When the mercury arrlntrituraUoa 

 was completely extinguished, he weighed the mortar with with iard. 

 the ointment in it, and found it had gained nothing. Hence 

 he inferred, that the mercury, if oxided, must have been 

 so at the expense of the lard, and not by the oxigen of the 

 air. 



To discover the state of the mercury, he introduced this It remains ia 

 ointment recently prepared into a cylinder of glass hermeti- g^^^^^ 

 cally sealed at one end ; and kept it three hours in boiling 

 water. After it was cold two very distinct strata appeared, 

 the uppermost of which was white like lard. From this he 

 separated the lower by cutting the cylinder with a file. On 

 braying this gently with hot water, 3 drachms 3 grs. of 

 running mercury were collected. Tlie remainder, which 

 obstinately retained a little lard, was treated with a lie of 

 caustic potash. The soap formed was dissolved in alcohol, 

 and thus the whole of the mercury was recovered. 



He likewise separated the lard from the mercury by boil- Farther proof* 

 ing the ointment in water. The lard swam on the top, o^^^i*' 

 slightly coloured by a little mercury, that adhered strongly 

 to it: and the mercury remained at the bottom of the vessel, 

 mixed with a little lard, but the slightest agitation united its 

 globules. 



The ointment being treated with muriatic acid in close 

 vessels, no oxigenized muriatic gas was evolved. 



Ointments that had been prepared three months, eiglit The mercury 



months, and several years, beiny^ examined, a little oxided acquires a I ittl« 

 „ , , , -n • 1 oxigen by long 



mercury was found, but the greater part was still m the me- keeping. 



tallic state. 



Mr. Vogel likewise triturated mercury with Venice tur- Mercury not 

 pentine, which extinguished it with facility. The turpentine ^'^^"^^ ^y **""* 

 being then dissolved in alcohol, the mercury was left behind 

 in little globules ; and the alcohol being evaporated, the 

 turpentine was recovered without any alteration in its pro- 

 perties. 



In these ointments, therefore, the mercury is not in the Merely divided 

 state of oxide, as has generally been supposed, but merely '" t|jese and 

 divided very minutely. Mr. Vogel is likewise inclined to pounds, 

 think, that it is in a similar state iij many mercurial com- 

 pounds 



